A Rude Awakening

This morning as I was waking up, I sensed that the bed seemed really quiet...or empty...or something. I listened with my eyes closed, not daring to move, then carefully turned my head and peeked. With one eye. While holding my breath. (you know what I'm talking about here if you've had kids with sleep issues, right?) Sure enough. Junior's usual spot was empty. (He has chronic sleep difficulties, and for the past 6 months or so he's stumbled into our room and climbed into bed with us every single night.)

I did a tiny celebratory dance, and then suddenly my grin vanished. Is he really in his bed? Did he make it outside somehow? Is he missing? Is he sick? Was his door stuck, and he couldn't get out of his room, and he screamed and cried for us for hours and hours and we didn't hear him and then he passed out from sheer exhaustion?? Well, ok, that's ridiculous. Even as I'm thinking these things, I know they're ridiculous. But seriously -- is he ok? Just as I'm laying there, talking myself out of going to check on him, he stumbles in the room with his scruffy bedhead, and pillow creases on his cheeks, and a sleepy little grin on his face. (Exhale...)

Now, let me back up just a bit and tell you that last week I was awakened at 5:38a.m. by an unusual rocking & shaking sensation. My daughter ran downstairs from her 3rd-story bedroom, just totally freaking out. My husband was already at work, so I quietly comforted her and had her crawl into the bed with me (and Junior, of course). She asked what was happening, and I told her I didn't know. It felt like an earthquake, but we don't get those here in the midwest, and I was too groggy to consider the matter more. We all promptly went back to sleep, and were amazed to hear later on the morning news that a rare earthquake had, indeed, rocked the midwest earlier that morning.

So here's the weird thing. When I woke up & realized Junior wasn't in the bed this morning, my heart nearly skipped a beat. Seriously -- I could feel the butterflies in my stomach and my adrenalin kicking in. But when there was a RARE EARTHQUAKE rousing me, I simply patted my daughter's hand and went right back to sleep.

Perhaps it's time for Sleep Intervention, Round Gazillionty-Two?